Background

With a unique diversity of high-relief landscapes and a northerly geographical location Norway has potential to be a leading nation within many aspects of terrestrial cryosphere research, ranging from permafrost, over periglacial and glacial geomorphology and Quaternary geology, to glaciology.  CRYONOR is organising a Norwegian network of cryosphere scientist, to contribute towards developing this research potential.

Objective

CRYONOR is a scientific network of Norwegian cryosphere scientists, having as main objective to enhance Norwegian science collaboration on all cryoscience-related topics; research as well as education. The single most important instrument to obtain this is by way of organizing an annual informal meeting, where cryosphere scientist meet to discuss ongoing research projects, study plans, or just to exchange ideas. CRYONOR also organises national and international workshops and seminars. CRYONOR is funded by Norwegian university scientists, but are open for all active cryosphere scientists in Norway. Also cryosphere scientists from other countries are welcome to join CRYONOR and contribute to ongoing activities. The main research focus of CRYONOR is the terrestrial cold-climate environment, past, present and future.

CRYONOR is based upon the free exchange of ideas and data, and organises a database with cryosphere-related data and observations. By this, CRYONOR attempts to contribute towards making Norwegian geoscience collaboration more flexible and efficient. Supported by Institute of Geoscience, University of Oslo, CRYONOR since 2006 is Norwegian contact body to the International Permafrost Association (IPA) and the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG).

Key research themes

The following research themes are representing the key areas of interest addressed by CRYONOR members:

• Permafrost, spatial and temporal aspects

• Glacial and periglacial processes, sediments and landforms

• The glacier-permafrost interaction

• Climatic control on glaciers, permafrost and periglacial environments

• Palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographic reconstructions based on glacial and periglacial sediments and landforms

• Morphometry of mountains

• Modelling of geomorphic activity within glacial and periglacial environments

Leader group

All Norwegian universities with terrestrial cryosphere research and education are represented in the CRYONOR leader group:

• Ole Humlum, Institute of Geoscience, University of Oslo

• Svein Olaf Dahl, Institute of Geography, University of Bergen

• Ivar Berthling, Department of Geography, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

• Hanne Hvidtfeldt Christiansen, Department of Geology, The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

Last update 24. September 2007 by Ole Humlum  .